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As the blissful sensations finally began to dim, and her responsibility as the Protector rose once more, she renewed her commitment. She knew her duty and she would fulfill the job given to her above all else.
And though she would always hold this night as one of the finest of her life, she had to let Malik go.
Taking a deep breath, she did just that.
As she stared out into the forest, however, she saw a faint light through all the branches and the leaves of the oak wood. Her heart set up a quick racket. No one should be able to find her here.
She tested the powerful spell that kept her home hidden in complete secrecy, and the charm held.
Malik had been able to see through the spell, but he was one of the most powerful vampires in the realm. Yet, as the light grew ever closer, she knew someone else had found her.
But who?
~ ~ ~
When Malik arrived back at his home in the south, his thoughts were divided between the reality about who Willow was in his life and the very bizarre fact that Davido was now in his home and very upset, at least according to his housekeeper.
Both circumstances had him tense as he entered the heavy, front door of his villa. He lived in a two-story house with an adjacent treehouse rec room that his Guardsmen could use whenever they wanted. The treehouse overlooked a fairly wide ravine, with a generous stream and a bathing pond.
When he didn’t find Davido
in his living room, he grew very still, extended his vampire hearing and listened for the old troll. The soft cursing that returned to him also surprised him as well as the location.
Davido was in his aviary of all places.
He crossed the living room and made his way through several smaller rooms to the path that led to the outdoor bird sanctuary. He’d never quite heard his birds squawking as much as they were right now.
Much of the hedge surrounding the aviary needed trimming back, so he couldn’t see inside what was a large forested area covering a quarter acre. When he reached the entrance, and the cursing started again, he finally caught sight of Davido and laughed outright.
“What are you doing, my friend?”
Davido the Wise scowled at Malik since he had birds covering him from head-to-foot. It would appear that every bird in the aviary had taken a fancy to him. “This is my wife’s doing. She took a pelter for reasons of which I am still ignorant. She gave me this spell insisting it would keep the birds away, but you see the true result for yourself.” He made an odd, disparaging noise with his lips, worse than a simple raspberry.
Malik entered the screened gate and quickly shut it behind him. He watched the path carefully since many of the birds were injured and could only hop.
Tonight, apparently, he didn’t need to worry; even the hopping birds climbed aboard the troll’s feet.
Malik couldn’t help but smile. “I didn’t think it was possible for you to ever offend Vojalie, which means you must have really crossed the line with her. So what did you do?”
Davido shook his head, clearly bemused. “I only wish I knew. I’d apologize to her, a thousand fold, if I could figure out how I’d given offence.”
Malik glanced around. Screen mesh covered the entire enclosure, preventing any of the birds from leaving and predators from getting inside. “So, why did you come to the aviary at all?”
He rolled his eyes. “Because of that damned spell. I was drawn here like a fly to gremlin shit.”
The three rolls of his troll forehead were in such tight lines that Malik had the impression if Davido didn’t get help soon, he’d burst into flames. And Francesca was right; he did have smoke coming out his elbows, a real sign he was quickly reaching his limit.
Malik sensed what needed to be done, having been the brunt of more than one of Alexandra the Bad’s spells at one time or another. He drew close and, after gently nudging a chickadee out of the way first, he settled his hand on the troll’s arm.
Just as Malik thought it would, the spell broke and the birds, one by one, fluttered away.
Davido’s nostrils flared. “I need a fucking drink.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place, and I think I might just join you.”
Once outside the aviary, Davido added, “Just to be clear, I want some of that fine Scottish single malt of yours.”
“Absolutely. But we’ll need to head to the treehouse.”
